Name: Cox Internet Review 2025
Item: Cox Internet Review 2025
Rating: 3.5

Staff Review

3.5

Cox offers gigabit download speeds, but at higher prices than competitors

Cox offers fast, reliable cable internet service and in a few select areas, all-fiber internet. But mostly, when you order Cox service, you’re going to get very fast cable internet up to about 2 Gigs. In fact, 99% of Cox’s customer base gets gigabit download speeds [1]. The lowest-priced plan will remain constant in price after the promotional period and has no monthly contract. All other plans go up by steep price increases of $25-$50 after the promotional rate ends. Overall, you are likely to pay more with Cox than with its cable or fiber competitors. That said, Cox may still be your best option if you happen to live in an area with no stronger fiber or cable internet providers who will give you more speed for your dollar. Beyond its service offerings and pricing structure, Cox has also been at the center of several major industry developments. Recently, Cox has been in the news for jointly defending its proposed $34.5 billion merger with Charter before the FCC, arguing that the two companies do not compete directly and are struggling with declining subscriber numbers [2]. They contend that critics’ claims of the firms becoming dominant “gatekeepers” are outdated and that the merger is necessary to keep their services competitive in today’s broadband market.

Additionally, the Supreme Court has recently signaled sympathy toward internet providers in a high-stakes copyright dispute with major record labels, raising concerns that a ruling for the music industry could force ISPs to police users or disconnect entire households, campuses, or towns [3]. The justices appeared wary of the sweeping consequences proposed by the labels, even as they pressed Cox Communications on the limits of its legal theory.

The developments ultimately highlight how Cox’s role in broadband extends beyond day-to-day internet service and into broader regulatory and industry-wide challenges.

Pros

Wide availability of gigabit download speeds Data caps are high at 1.2 TB, decreasing likelihood of overages Reliability of cable connection

Cons

Big price hikes after promotional rates Data caps may result in overage charges Below-average customer satisfaction ratings

Pricing

3.0

Be aware of price hikes and data overage for heavy-streaming households

Cox offers a first-tier plan at $55/month for up to 300 Mbps download speeds. That's about $.18 per Mbps, which is on the higher end of the pricing scale. The good news is that Cox's first-tier price is the standard price, so it won’t go up automatically after a promotional period. Unfortunately, the higher speed plans do have steep price hikes after the first year’s promotional rate. And when those price increases kick in, you’ll be paying more per month, on average, than you would for the same speeds through Xfinity or Spectrum. In addition, there’s a monthly rental fee for the Cox modem/router of $13, though you are allowed to buy your own compatible router if you wish. Another big question about Cox pricing will be how much data you use. Cox does have a data cap. The cap is high at 1.25 TB [4], so many households will never exceed it. It's worth noting, though, that the share of U.S. broadband subscribers using at least 1 TB of data per month has risen to nearly 25% in Q4 2024 [5]... up from 14% in 2022 [6]. And if you do exceed your cap, you will face overage charges [7]. In other words, if you are a heavy data user, you may end up with a higher monthly bill. So be aware of these data caps as a factor in your pricing if you live in a household with multiple people who stream 4K or play real-time games online every day. If your internet activities don’t include lots of HD streaming, gaming, or large file uploads, or you only have one or two household members, you are unlikely to exceed your monthly data cap.

Reliability and Performance

4.0

Years of solid operations equip Cox with reliable infrastructure

Cox has a thirty-year record of delivering internet access to customers. This means that when you order internet service, it will work as it should the vast majority of the time. Cox home internet serves metro areas in 18 states. Cox Communications remains a major U.S. broadband provider with around 6–6.5 million residential and commercial customers under its own brand. With its 2025 proposed merger with Charter Communications, the combined company would serve roughly 35.9 million broadband subscribers — making it, if approved, the largest cable/broadband operator in the United States [8]. Cox uses hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) technology, like its major competitors Xfinity and Spectrum. Ordinarily, your internet service will be carried by fiber-optic lines along the main arteries until it gets within about a mile of your house. Somewhere near that point, the network will switch to copper coaxial cable. This structure is called Fiber-to-the-Node (FTTN). It is faster than an all-copper network, but not as fast as all-fiber, which is also known as Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH). Cox does offer a small percentage of all-fiber connections and is building out more, but for the moment, you are most likely to get HFC, i.e., cable internet service [9]. Download speeds with Cox’s cable internet will go as high as 2,000 Mbps in some areas, and upload speeds will top out around 200 Mbps. Though this upload speed is far below the symmetrical high speeds of an all-fiber connection, Cox cable internet still provides plenty of speed for most households. Cox uses data caps of 1.25 TB/month on its plans. This allowance will provide plenty of data for most households. But if you have a large household and you all do unusually heavy streaming or gaming to go over 1 TB, you may incur up to a maximum of $100 in overage charges. You can get Cox plans with unlimited data, but only by paying more each month for an unlimited plan.

Equipment, Installation and Bonus Features

4.0

Cox offers optional self-installation, charges equipment rental fee

When you order Cox internet service, you will be able to select either professional installation or self-installation. Self-installation will save you about $100, as long as you’re willing to deal with instructions for connection and activation. If you want to use a Cox-supplied modem/router, you will get their Panoramic Wi-Fi gateway [10]. Higher-tier plans will receive a Wi-Fi 6 gateway, while the lower tier of plans will have a more typical Wi-Fi 5 compatible device. All customers will pay a $13/month rental fee for the equipment in addition to their monthly plan fee. However, Cox will forego the fee if you use your own compatible modem/router, which may make it cheaper in the long run for you to buy one rather than renting.

Customer Experience & Support

2.0

Cox customer service ranks below average on national surveys

Cox gets a resounding "meh" for customer service on recognized national surveys of customer satisfaction such as the J.D. Power survey [11]. Cox ranks below average in each region where it provides service. In 2025, Cox scored 68 out of 100 on the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), which places it just below the 70/100 average for non-fiber internet providers [12].

In an industry not known for good customer service, it's hard to split hairs about exactly what the rankings mean. Even some of the best ISPs occasionally get their share of negativity when you look up review compilation maps [13]. But despite TrustPilot's 1-star rating (based on over 1,400 reviews) [14], because J.D. Power and ACSI are widely regarded as among the more objective rating systems, we're going to give Cox 2 stars for customer service.

FAQ's

Cox provides a convenient self-installation option called Easy Connect. With Easy Connect, you can use a self-installation kit to set up your new internet or phone modem or TV receiver. The process is simple and involves following a few easy steps outlined in the self-installation guides provided by Cox.

Panoramic Wi-Fi from Cox is an innovative high-speed internet experience designed to meet your needs. It offers fast and reliable speeds throughout your home, along with support tools to manage your home network effectively. With Panoramic Wi-Fi, you can enjoy wall-to-wall Wi-Fi coverage and faster speeds for all your internet activities.

Cox Hotspots are a network of Wi-Fi hotspots available nationwide. They are accessible to Cox Internet Preferred and higher plans. When you're near a hotspot, you can connect to them by searching for available networks using your smart devices. By using Cox Hotspots with your Cox login credentials, you can save on cellular data usage while enjoying internet connectivity on the go.

Yes, Cox allows you to change your home internet speed whenever your needs change. If you require faster or slower internet speeds, you have the flexibility to adjust your plan accordingly. Cox offers a range of internet plans to cater to different speed requirements. You can explore the available options and select the plan that best suits your needs. You can test your internet speed here.

All of Cox’s internet plans come with 1.2 GB of data per month. Cox offers two additional data plans beyond the monthly plan that is included in your service. These additional data plans provide you with more internet data to meet your usage needs if you are a heavy data user.

Yes, you can set up a new Cox email address. Cox provides email services to its customers, allowing them to create personalized email accounts.